Endeavour Up Ten

I see that following his spectacular win in the Paddy Power Gold Cup the handicapper has raised Great Endeavour by 10lbs to a new career-high rating of 157.  With a 4lbs penalty in The Hennessy, that leaves him theoretically 6lbs "well-in" at Newbury - let's just hope that we do not get too much rain between now and then and the going does not come up too testing as I think he is a better horse on goodish ground.  Personally, I think that he will stay the trip - remember he finished a very close third over hurdles at Cheltenham over 3m1 1/2f on soft ground as a five year old...I guess that question will be answered if he takes his chance on Saturday week.

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Both Bumblebee and Rose Of The Moon currently hold entries and we had them schooling over hurdles earlier in the week.  As you can see, they both jumped nicely.

  
Above left: Bumblebee and right: Rose Of The Moon school over hurdles

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There is an old adage that goes "always back the outsider of three".  I don't know who says it or why, but followers of that theory were rewarded yesterday when Master Darcy won the beginners chase at odds of 16/1.  The long odds-on favourite Bears Affair unseated his jockey - I am sure that A P McCoy will not be wanting to watch that video too many times!  It does go to show that it can happen to anyone!  Anyway, despite that minor blip the champ continues to be in inspired form and has ridden 138 winners from 476 rides at a scarcely believable 29% strike rate...you might as well throw the form book out of the window and back AP blind.

Following his fantastic weekend at Cheltenham, it is good to see David's name appearing in second place in the trainer's championship on £303,329.

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I see that it is the "Cackling Scot" Willie Carson's 69th birthday today.  I wonder how he will be celebrating as he is currently in the jungle on "I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!"?  I think I would be wary of any birthday cake that is offered...it would probably be made out of kangaroo testicles or something equally tempting.

That leads me to ask - what was Freddie Starr eating before he left the jungle?  Whatever it was it made him look rougher than the food itself!  We hope you are soon feeling more yourself Freddie.